cycling and stocking my new five gallon

[meegosh]

Im gonna make a new thread because I chased everybody away from this one. I didn't mean to... but apparently I did... ill call the new thread "cycling and stocking my new five gallon"

I merged your two threads together. Please refrain from creating two identical threads about the same subject.

 

[maxwellag]

I merged your two threads together. Please refrain from creating two identical threads about the same subject.

Sorry. I accidentally called them the same thing too... oops...

 

[maxwellag]

Anarchis, anubias, java moss, and java fern

I have anarchis in my bigger community tank. I think my lfs also has all of those plants. I will probably get some of them today.

 

[meegosh]

Sorry. I accidentally called them the same thing too... oops...

No worries! Good luck w/ the plants!

 

[maxwellag]

No worries! Good luck w/ the plants!

Thank you. I can't wait to put fish in it!

 

[maxwellag]

I am going to put some more food in. Flakes this time.

 

[eco23]

I am going to put some more food in. Flakes this time.

Is getting a bottle of pure ammonia an option for you? Using fish food can lead to some undesirable things like mold and fungus. At the very least, find a mesh media bag and put the food in there instead of directly into the tank.

 

[maxwellag]

Is getting a bottle of pure ammonia an option for you? Using fish food can lead to some undesirable things like mold and fungus. At the very least, find a mesh media bag and put the food in there instead of directly into the tank.

I don't have ammonia and can't get some for five days. I am at my dads house now. The tank is at my moms.

 

[Deckape]

I don't have ammonia and can't get some for five days. I am at my dads house now. The tank is at my moms.

Hi we are here, could your mom get some for you or chunck a shrimp for you in there until you get home?

 

[maxwellag]

Probably.... I will ask her.

 

[TheJT]

For that mesh media bag, I would take some cheese cloth (readily available at practically any grocery store and cheap) and tie it up with a rubber band. That should keep all the food in.

 

[maxwellag]

For that mesh media bag, I would take some cheese cloth (readily available at practically any grocery store and cheap) and tie it up with a rubber band. That should keep all the food in.

Ok... I will do that.

 

[FishieMomma]

I learned a lot from this thread. We were going to use my son's 5 gal hex tank for a QT, but maybe we'll put micros in there and use something plain for a QT when needed.

 

[maxwellag]

When I get back to my moms I will continue with posting parameters and ideas.

 

[maxwellag]

Ok everyone, I am going to my moms house today. I can't wait! We are probably going to get the cheese cloth and put food in it. We may even go to the better pet store that is twenty minutes away. But we will probably only get plants today. But if I do get any fish they will have to either live in the ten for a while or be in a bucket for a while. but I portably will not get any fish today. It depends on my water parameters and how far in the cycle I am.

 

[librarygirl]

I learned a lot from this thread. We were going to use my son's 5 gal hex tank for a QT, but maybe we'll put micros in there and use something plain for a QT when needed.

I guess I'm still confused then, b/c I thought a QT should have a filter and heater, etc and that would be difficult in a bucket or container. Also if the fish are going to be in QT for a while (QT new fish should take at least a month from what I've heard and if they are sick and being treated with meds it can also take a while), and if meds are added to a container with out filtration then daily water changes would be needed since the container wouldn't be cycled, etc. Wouldn't that just be more stress on already stressed and sick fish? Not to mention a waste of meds.

If someone else could clarify that would be great.

 

[maxwellag]

I am at my moms house now. I just tested the water and the parameters are:
Ph: 8.2
Ammonia: 0.25 ppm
Nitrite: 1 ppm
Nitrate: 10 ppm
Do I need to lower the ph?

 

[eco23]

pH is fine, don't even let the thought of altering it enter your mind.

PS...be responsible, be patient and don't buy any fish until you have a cycled tank to put them in. You'd either end up with a fishless and fish-in cycle happening all at once (when you might not even be around to take care of it), or fish sitting in a bucket. Just wait it out.

 

[Deckape]

pH is fine, don't even let the thought of altering it enter your mind.

PS...be responsible, be patient and don't buy any fish until you have a cycled tank to put them in. You'd either end up with a fishless and fish-in cycle happening all at once (when you might not even be around to take care of it), or fish sitting in a bucket. Just wait it out.

I, a million percent agree. Don't get impatient.

 

[maxwellag]

I guess I'm still confused then, b/c I thought a QT should have a filter and heater, etc and that would be difficult in a bucket or container. Also if the fish are going to be in QT for a while (QT new fish should take at least a month from what I've heard and if they are sick and being treated with meds it can also take a while), and if meds are added to a container with out filtration then daily water changes would be needed since the container wouldn't be cycled, etc. Wouldn't that just be more stress on already stressed and sick fish? Not to mention a waste of meds.

If someone else could clarify that would be great.

Yeah, the main concern is to have filtration. But if that isn't possible, it is a lot better to at least have an air stone in there. But some filters airate the water enough from when it returns it to the tank. I am probably going to get a mini filter that is supposedly for a one gallon and put it in my current bettas one gallon. that way the filter stays cycled and helps the betta at the same time. When I need to quarantine a fish, I will move the mini filter into the quarantine bucket (or whatever I decide to use). The one I will probably get also has an option to have a bar go up and cure so it is level, then water falls down through holes in the level part. That way the water gets air too, so it is the benefit of an air stone and a filter in one.